Molasses gate



(No Model.)

J. GERARD 8v- R."L. WEBB]:

IMOLASS'BS ATE,

' J Pal/cantedF]? Fg j I 1 )IIIIIHIIIIIIIIII V UNIT D" STATES PATENT OFFIC 1 JOHN GERAR ANnRoDoLPHUs WEBB, OFNEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS TO LANDERS, FRARY & CLARK, or SAME PLACE.

joint.

M CLASSES-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent a... 377,555, dated February '1, 1888.

I Application filed November 7, 1887. Serial No. 254,471. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN GERARD and R0- DOLPHUS L. WEBB, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Molasses- Gates; and we do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters ofreference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent,

Figure 1, a side view of the gate complete; Fig. 2, a longitudinal central section of the same; Fig. 3, a top view of the same; Fig. 4, a front view; Fig. 5, amodification.

This invention relates to an improvement in the device adapted to be applied to hogsheads or casks for drawing off the contentssuch,for instance, as molasses'-and commonly called molasses-gatesthat is to say, such contrivances as consist of a tube secured to the cask to form a conductor therefrom and having combined with it a sliding gate, which is adapted to open or cut off the passage through the tube. 1

The object of the invention is a simple and cheap construction of the gate,which will work easily, not liable to stick, and'yet insure a tight A represents the body, which is tubular in form, screw-threaded or otherwise fitted at one end for attachment to the cask and at the other end terminates in a head, B, which presents, preferably, an oblique or inclined outer surface to form theface upon which the gate 0 may work. This body,being tubular,forms the channel through which the contents of the cask may be drawn. The face of the head is flat, as shown, and projects at each side to form parallel guides a.- Across the face a yoke, D, is arranged, its two arms, E E, extending one each side the head, and to these arms anti-friction rollers F are applied, which bear upon the rear surface of the guides a on the head. The yoke is constructed with a suitable handle, G, by which it may be moved.

The gate G is arranged within the yoke and against the face of the head, as seen in Fig. 2. It is provided with a stud, H, which sets into a corresponding recess in the yoke, so that the up-and-down movement of the yoke willbe imparted to the gate 0.

Between the yoke and gate-a spring, I, of any suitable character is introduced-here represented as of elliptical shape. This spring tends to force the yoke outward and bring the anti-friction rollers F F to a bearing upon the back side of the guides a,and the said rollers, resisting the action of the spring, bring that action to bear directly upon the gate, so as to force the gate 0 into close contact with the face, and so that as the yoke is raised or lowered'the gate will move accordingly, but in close contact with the face of the head. The face being straight and flat and the gate of corresponding shape,they are easily fitted and of the cheapest possible construction. The anti-friction rollers make the up-and-down movement of the gate easy, notwithstanding the strong pressure of the spring againstthe gate.

Steps 6 are provided at the lower end of the head to arrest the descent of the yoke when the gate shall be fully closed, and the stop (I is provided at the upper end of the head to limit the upward movement of the gate when it shall have reached its full open position.

The spring I is pierced to set over the stud H, to retain it in its proper position with relation to the gate and yoke.

Instead of making the stud Hon the gate and the recess in the yoke, this order may be inverted, as seen in Fig. 5, the stud being on the yoke and'the recess in the gate. In this figure we illustrate a helical spring between the gate and yoke.

We claim- 1. The herein-described molasses-gate, consisting of the tubular body constructed at one end for attachment to thecask and at its other end constructed with a head presenting a fiat face, and the head constructed with parallel guides or upon its respective sides, combined with the yoke D across the face side of the said head, its arms extending to the rear of the guides on the head and adapted to take abearing upon the rear surface of said guides, the yoke constructed with a suitable handle, by which it may be moved, thegate 0 between the yoke and face, and so as to ride upon the face, the said yoke and gate constructed, the

ICO

one with a stud and the other with a corresponding recess to connect the two,and a spring between said yoke and gate, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the tubular body A, constructed at one end for attachment to the cask and at the other end with ahead, 13, said head constructed to present a straight flat face with guides 11 upon its respective sides, the yoke D across said head, its arms extending each side the head and to the rear of said guides, anti-friction rollers F on said arms and adapted to bear upon the rear side of said guides, the gate 0, resting against the fiatface of the head and inside the yoke, the yoke and 15 JOHN GERARD. RODOLPHUS L. WEBB.

Witnesses:

WM. R. STONE, GEO. D. OOPLEY. 

